A moment of indecision gripped the thief. Did he dive for the opening and the combat raging outside? Or did he stay where he was and accept the consequences?

The decision was made for him when the two villagers that had been accompanying the party leapt for the entrance to the elevator. Recognizing the danger from the rising floor, Lumori lunged forward to grab their hands and pull them into the shaft with him.

Upon vanquishing the creature with barely any help from the others, Melior slipped out of the room while saying "Someone go look for those guards that came with us. And for that matter, where's Lumori?"

Somnak grunted as the beast collapsed into rubble - he had been of little use in this encounter and it frustrated the half-Orc to no end. Pushing his way to the forefront, Somnak knelt down and searched through the rubble for any items of use that may have been caught in the Susurrus's tangles. On reflection, he also collected a long bamboo stalk - it would require treatment and some careful work, but he thought he could make some kind of flute out of it...

Shouldering her way away from the repulsive snake and back out into the hallway, Brin none the less found space and time to grind a random bamboo stalk underfoot. The blasted thing probably didn't even have a heart for her to burn. And as Melior mentioned their missing companions, she scowled, and began to look about the hallway...

Melior and Somnak searched through the massive pile of bamboo and debris, kicking around and examining the many tubes, pipes, and logs. Finally Somnak settled on a undamaged, perfectly-sized bamboo tube for his flute.

Melior almost lunged, when he spied a bamboo tube that wasn't hollow. And in fact was not bamboo tube at all! He picked up the tube and unrolled it, with a wide grin on his face. Meleana admired the elven wizard, as her snake hissed at Brin. (see ooc).

Brin, ever angry, surveyed the hallway again. Now that the Susurrus was dead, eerie silence greeted her glances. The drops of blood continued on, as before, down toward the left corridor. By now, she surmised, that one-eyed false priest must have reached a place of safety. Or had he? There was no way to know.

Thorgir's brief search for the "cowards" proved fruitless. Lumori, Myhak, and Yurhak were gone, disappeared into a vile wall of sorcery!

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

Grinning at his latest aquisition, Melior did not bother considering how this scroll got stuck in the beast. The only though in his mind was of the fact that he had even more magical might to his all ready potent and formidable arsenal. Truly he was unstoppable! Nothing could defeat him!

He stood, nose in the scroll, and without pause set fire to the sussurus' corpse with his Burning Hands spell. Using the crackling flames as a light source, he pored over his prize, and scribbled each of them into his spellbook.

Melior silences any seeking to disturb him (with the possible exception of Meleana) with a finger and a noise. We are camping here tonight. Unless you want to leave and face the cyclops without an arcane spellcaster...

Somnak was thrice infuriated. First, the Seneschal was now surely in safety. Second, he had failed to deliver a single satisfying strike to the bamboo-beast, and finally, the frustrating Elf had decided to settle in for the night and read up on his precious new scroll - in the middle of this hostile pyramid where dangers obviously lurked around every corner - as evidenced by the now burning pile of rubble by which the magic user warmed himself, " By the gods, Melior!" Somnak fumed, "There is no doubt that the Seneschal has gone to find his egg-god. Do you think there is even a remote chance that once this beast is told of us, it will not hunt us down? We cannot stop the hunt!" the half-Orc snarled, his face ugly with the fury of his exasperation. "If you are too much of a coward to continue the hunt with us, take your Snake-wench with you back to the village and rut with her there! I continue the hunt. Who else is coming? Thorgir? Human woman?" he turned to study the black-skinned woman, "What is your name, anyway?"

With that, Somnak stalked off, following the blood-stained path that he traveled down previously. Within his head, the spirits howled - they had been getting louder and louder within this dungeon - the drums were beating and the pressure was building within the half-orc's mind, as though all the spirits that were with him were trying to burst out. He had never felt such a sensation before!

He passed through the hallways more carefully this time, taking care to watch for any more dangers or traps.

When Somnak saw that Thorgir followed, the Half-Orc turned to him, rummaging through his pack. "Looks like you took a nasty hit, here, have a swig of this." He passed the giant man a vial of effervescent orange liquid, "Swiped it from a cowardly dwarf months ago. Don't drink it all! Half the bottle should be enough to burn away your cuts. I want that back when you're done!

Lumori ignored the pair, and studied the moving chamber. It was moving up, and rather quickly. Lumori was not as frightened as the two spearmen. He had even heard of such contraptions before! The Guildmaster of Baetoom's thieves, was said to have constructed something similar in his subterranean lair. An ascending and descending chamber, operated with a complex set of levers, pulleys, and chains. No pulleys here, granted, but still. The danger, Lumori surmised, would come once this chamber *stopped* moving, not before.

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

The dark priestess, indeed, stalked after the half-orc and Barbarian, shooting a glare at the elves as they languished behind. While her Lord might well approve of the passions budding between the elves, stoking them was not her mission. Defeating or revealing the liar here - that was. "For scraps of power, you would let our enemy prepare and set a strong array of death for us." Shaking her head, her white hair glaring in the light of this place, she strode along, the hatred for her prey blazing brightly in her heart.

"I am Brin and I have come to slaughter those who would steal away the worship of the true gods." Her voice was level, quiet, and focused. She could taste the rage and anger of the others in the air. This was good, it was to be encouraged, when it was time. That bloom would be magnificent. "Now, wary minds. The false priest may be skilled in illusions."

Off went the pig-man again. They must live really short lives as he was always seemingly running. Did he just insult my snake? Meleana wondered with a frown, she decided she didn't like the pig-man, not that she ever held much love for ugly things. The half-naked human and the drow followed suit. While Meleana was glad to see the drow go, she suddenly felt a bit naked, with only her and Melior here. It didn't help that Melior wasn't giving his undivided attention to her either, things were so much simpler with human suitors, they could never get enough of her. And then of course, there was the matter of her sister. Not that haste would matter much in that case, she had already been here for weeks, still, Meleana's stomach had been in a knot since they first set foot in here...

< "Are we going to follow the pig-man? He'll no doubt stick his snout into trouble again." >She nonchalantly remarked, petting her snake.

Taking better stock of Thorgir as they moved through the hallways, Brin spent a moment doing mental calculus. And came to a decision. "Stop a moment, warrior, and I will tend your injury." A pause, then, "It will... hurt, but then be over."

Brin smiled only faintly, as she reached up to place one dark hand upon the wound. "Atarkhul, Lord of Passions, will help you to help yourself."

The prayer was short, at least in time. It's effects... For a brief moment, the priestess drew upon the rage deep within the warrior, leaving behind an eerie moment of crystal calmness, before returning it, channeling the burning purpose through the flesh of the wound, augmenting it with the divine hatred that boiled within her own soul. The power glowed a horrid red and violet as it coursed from her hand into the flesh and blood of the barbarian, the divinely augmented need to continue the long war searing the flesh sealed, the unholy will ramming it back into proper place and raveling it together once more in desperate disregard of the pain, all the pain that the wound would ever cause flashing through it with hurried speed, leaving behind numbness in its wake. The numbness would fade, shortly enough. The seething rage that accompanied it, overwhelming that moment of calmness utterly? That would last much longer.

They followed the trail of cyclops blood (spell component? Alchemical?) until the drops ran out.

Another purplish crystal, palm-sized and oval, studded into the wall, at eye level, slightly protruding.

Before Thorgir could raise a sword to smash it, Brin quickly pokes at it with her new segmented staff, courtesy of the vanished Lumori.

As she does, the wall shimmers a now familiar green, and a doorway materializes...

Meat

The doorway reveals a rather large and wide chamber, eighty feet across, the walls slanting into a triangular shape vertically upwards. The ceiling, sixty feet above, tapers into a single opening, approximately ten feet in diameter. The hole is dark and it is difficult to see anything through it, except shadow.

With the doorway open, their nostrils were assaulted with the horrifying aroma of an abattoir, the smell of beast… and death.

They could see what can only be described as a zoo without cages, various animals of the jungle, in various states of near-death, moaning and whimpering in a gruesome display, glassy eyes staring at nothing.

None of the beasts—tapirs, jungle cats, small deer, birds, and reptiles, seem to bother with each other, laying about “defeated” and waiting to expire, or to perhaps be eaten.

A truly grotesque menagerie, a larder of living or nearly-living meat, spread out before them.

Amidst the morbid scene, they could make out two humanoid shapes, both villagers by the looks of them! One was surely dead, missing a head; his body lay sprawled in a bloody pool. The other was hunched into a corner, wild eyes darting from beast to beast, no doubt madness settling in.

Across the chamber, they could see another glass door. No knob beside it on the wall however. It was probably on the outside.

Ardhalas

So this was the place of death and punishment? It did not appear as hellish as he had imagined it to be. There was nothing to do but walk along a sterile corridor spread out before him. The walls were made of some milky-white stone, and slightly aglow. The silence seemed impenetrable.

He had enough lembas bread to last him a long time. Starvation was not one of his concerns.

What was it to be then? Was the floor to give away to infernal flames roasting him alive? Did some nightmarish beast lurk around the next corner? How was he meant to be punished? How was he meant to die here in this weird place?

Ardhalas paused to examine a purplish crystal oval along one of the walls at eye level. No doubt it was meant to activate something, the elf assumed.

He then spied an open portal along the opposite wall some distance ahead. Coming closer he could see the portal was actually a “glass” screen, approximately the size of a door. Looking through, Ardhalas could make out the floor of a huge chamber fifty feet below.

It seemed to be a rather large collection of animals and creatures, he noted, in horrific states of disarray and death. He could suddenly make out three additional humanoid figures below!

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

Finishing copying the spells with a flourish of his pen, Melior stood and glared at the fire.

<"Aye, beautiful one, best we try and catch up with the others. Before they do something stupid and get themselves killed.">

And so saying, tucking his spellbook in one of his robe's voluminous pockets, he set off down the corridor with Meleana in his wake. He eyed the scroll for a moment, and slipped it as well in an easier-to-reach pocket. If need be, he'd remember which spells were on it. He was a genius, after all, and if this plan that was beginning to percolate in the back of his skull was any indication, perhaps even a god...

Melior liked the sound of that, but it was no use considering the practical implications of this idea of his. Not when he had (sigh) a collection of such infantile fools to take care of. Honestly, some cyclops who was exploiting some backwards village (which Melior did respect, and was slightly envious of) was not as important as magical knowledge. Why couldn't everyone just see that?

No idea how long it takes to copy some spells. I'm going to follow the blood trails, so feel free to have Melior join the trap/combat/whatever evilness you're planning in this animal room whenever you so wish.

Blue eyes kept a passing watch on the room as the lift rose towards its destination. Meanwhile, Lumori delved deep into his memories. What did the thieves of Baetoom call these things again...? Indarot...Esovat...Escavator...Ah! Elevator! That's right...the darkness calls...they called this lifting contraption an elevator. Someone clever must have...the Darkness wants...heard of theirs and figured out how to repli-The Darkness Hungers...

The thief twitched slightly, then rolled his shoulders and neck. The frightened villagers next to him had no clue that their greatest danger was not where the elevator would stop.

Death by boredom. Days and days of walking in sterile corridors. Exile wasn't what he thought it was, not punishment like when they had him on his knees and in chains. When they branded a huge X across his face as he screamed the name of his love. Still, these corridors could drive an elf insane.

Yet... There was something about them. Something he remembered, but couldn't quite put his fingers on.

Nevermind.

Shrugging he put the thought aside and focused on the strange vista in front of him.

Ardhalas tests the glass portal, to see if he can get through. If he can he will shout "identify yourselves" to the humanoids on the other side. If not he will press the purplish crystal oval and try again

Somnak stepped hesitantly into this room, even his steeled nostrils scrunched at the affront to his sense of smell. "What is this place? Perhaps the food store for this 'egg-god'? How fitting that we now walk into it." The half-orc called out to the live villager; "Human, do you hear me?" but his eyes did not meet the man - instead it peered across the room, ready for any potentially deranged or crazed beast that may turn hostile. He squinted as up above at the glass screen, a figure appeared on the other side. "Who... is that?"

Not glass then, Ardhalas noted as he examined the screen, some other material. Pushing the purple knob seemed to do the trick, as the screen door slid to the side, and was now an open space. A second push opened a doorway below, across the chamber from where the three figures had just entered. A third push closed that doorway again, a fourth closed the screen he was standing in front of... Simple enough, he thought, and then pushed it once again.

“Identify yourselves!” Came his commanding if mellifluous voice from above.

At the same time, the human chattel answered Somnak in the chamber below…

“Keep it away! By all the gods, keep it away! Please oh please, keep the Watching Egg away!”

After catching his breath, “The Seneschal has just passed through here!” he volunteers desperately, perhaps anticipating questions, and hoping that his answers could save him.Then he half-runs half-crawls over to Thorgir, Brin, and Somnak, and pleads further. “Take me with you! I am to be fed to the Watching Egg! HELP ME! There are others too! Some of us were brought here, others…” he begins to sob uncontrollably, unable to finish.

As the man hears the voice from above, he cowers again, assuming Ardhalas to be some agent of the Watching Egg.

The beasts and animals meanwhile ignored the interlopers, and simply waited to die.

-----------

Melior and Meleana raced along the eerie hallway, eager now to catch up to the others. Melior beamed as he ran, Meleana noticed. Her pou-eija had a look on his face as if he was planning world dominion, even as he ran. (ooc: You're a bit behind Somnak, Brin, and Thorgir at this point, but hey you have some powerful spells now )

-----------

Statuary

Finally the contraption came to a halt. As it did, the doorway slid aside, and Lumori could look out.

The vast chamber in front of him, was reminiscent of a great columned hall of some ruined city of bygone ages. Scattered about the entire room were stone statues, busts, and sculptures, dozens upon dozens if not hundreds…standing erect, kneeling, laying on their sides, or propped up against walls. The statues depicted any and every being one could imagine. Humans, humanoids, beasts known and unrecognizable, littered the chamber, nearly but not quite, creating a forest-maze of sculpted stone. The silence was deafening in here.

Yurhak and Myhak hesitated and glanced at Lumori. Little could they guess, that the thief was losing a mental battle to his 'dark-side' at that very moment.

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

He sure as hell wasn't going to continue down this endless maze, so Ardhalas decided to take his chances with the humanoids in the chamber. Not waiting to hear their reply, his curiosity piqued by the desperate figure, Ardhalas incanted the elder words, his voice deepening considerably as he began using High Elven.

And with those words, his feet lifted off the ground. He pushed the purple knob again, then slowly descended through the portal.

OOC: Ardhalas casts levitate, then carefully maneuvers down through the portal. He keeps hovering in the air just below the portal, in case he needs to close the second door again. Note that Ardhalas pressed the knob enough times to open both doors.

His grey cloak fluttered as he levitated down, and he routinely notched an arrow. Careful to avoid any threatening moves, he kept the bow lowered as the humanoids finished sprint-crawling and laid himself prostate at the feet of the trio.

He shouted again, his voice several octaves lighter as he switched to the common tongue.

"My name is Ardhalas, Haulor of the First Empire, Defender of Althyras. I come in peace!"

OOC: Ardhalas scouts the room, and also listens for sounds from the corridor above. He takes in the surroundings, trying to find if something is out of place. Also, the names of places he so proudly announces are unlikely to be known to you. Perhaps some scholars have heard of them. The First Empire of Elves fell over 27505 years ago, and I am not entirely sure it even was in this dimension

"Your titles mean naught to us, Elf" Somnak snarled - though Ardhalas may have been careful not to show signs of aggression, the Half-Orc had no qualms with training a ready arrow at the man with his shortbow as he levitated to the floor. Why did it have to be another elf? His already tainted opinion of the self-loving race of elves had been corrupted further by Melior and Meleana. Thus far, this one appeared as proud as they; flaunting his titles as though they would impress him. "We hunt a one-eyed giant; the 'Seneschal' this madman rambles on about, and it's false god, the Watching Egg."

"You are either a part of the Watching Egg's brood, or you are not. Which is it? If you are not, then why are you here, Ardhalas the Elf." Somnak did not give his name. Nor was his arrow lowered from his bow, as yet. His eyes narrowed, and the Half-Orc licked one of his upper canines while he awaited the newcomer's answer.